Adderall XR and lethargy/apathy? | ADHD Information

I recently began taking Adderall XR for inattentive-type ADD. At this time I take
20 mg in the morning. Sometimes I take another dose around 4 or 5,
depending on how I'm feeling (i.e. extra tired, anxious). In addition to using it
to help me focus, I have since realized since I began using XR that it has cleared
up a LOT of my other problems... anxiety, depression due to constant anxiety,
some other stress-related issues don't seem to present themselves when I have
it in my system. So that's great.

But from what I understand XR should last 8 - 12ish hours. My problem is I
only get about 4 or 5 "good" hours from it, and tend to crash both physically
and emotionally if I don't take the 2nd dose soon enough (and it seems to
fluctuate from day to day an hour or two). The first 3 - 4 hours, I feel deeply
lethargic, apathetic, disinterested, and unmotivated. I can work and focus if I
need to and usually my ability to pay attention/study is improved (I am a
freshman in college, by the way). However, the emotional feeling is AWFUL!
Once the first third or half of the dosage duration wears off, I tend to feel really
peaceful or happy, my anxiety is gone or controllable, and because I can get a
handle on it I don't feel depressed so often. Of course all of that comes rushing
back when it wears off...

So my point is - does anyone else experience this "going up" period which
starts with alertness (no longer tired, because I haven't been sleeping too well
since I started taking it), then goes to an awake but completely disinterested
state, until around noon or so at which point I feel what I assume "normal" is.
Like, I could be entertained watching paint dry when I'm in that lethargic state.
This really bothers me because I have always been a very vibrant/lively person
and I just don't feel like moving, talking, joking, anything really for the first few
hours. Does this ever go away? Should I look at trying IR instead?rsusko40242.6546296296